Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls swirl together fresh strawberry filling with fluffy brioche dough and a drizzle of vanilla cinnamon icing. Made with sourdough starter, these rolls have just a hint of tanginess to complement the sweetness of the filling and are perfect for a summer breakfast or brunch.

Tips for making Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

• The dough for the cinnamon rolls will be a bit sticky, which can make it hard to work with. To help with this, I recommend using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to knead the dough. If you don’t have a stand mixer, though, you can knead the dough by hand. Sprinkle your hands with a little extra flour to help prevent sticking.
• You can use fresh or frozen strawberries for this recipe. If you don’t want to make the filling though, you can substitute the strawberry filling for 1 1/2 cups strawberry jam.
• Want to enjoy these cinnamon rolls in the morning without a lot of prep? You can refrigerate the rolls overnight and bake them in the morning for breakfast.
• These cinnamon rolls are best if enjoyed within 3 days. Store at room temperature and cover to keep them fresh.

Tools you will need

To make these rolls, you’ll need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and a dough hook, a rolling pin, a small pot or pan, and a cast iron skillet to bake the rolls in.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can absolutely knead the dough by hand instead. Also, you can use a rectangular baking pan or two 9″ circle pans to bake the rolls in if you don’t have a cast iron skillet.

Ingredients you will need

For the dough:

• 4 cups flour – All-purpose flour works best for this.
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter – Make sure it’s active and bubbly.
• 1/2 cup softened butter – Make sure it’s unsalted or else omit the salt from the dough. If you’re dairy-free, try using ghee (clarified butter) instead.
• 3 eggs – If you think ahead, leave these out for a few hours to come to room temperature.
• 1/4 cup milk – Whole, 2%, or skim milk works best, but you can use a dairy-free alternative if you prefer.
• 2 tbsp honey – Or maple syrup too.
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt – Kosher salt works well.

For the filling:

• 3 cups strawberries – Fresh strawberries are the best choice for this, but you can use frozen. Just let them defrost before you make the filling.
• 2 tbsp honey – Or maple syrup.
• 1 tbsp flour – All-purpose flour is best here.
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla

For the icing:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt – Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. Whole milk yogurt will be the creamiest, but you can use low-fat in a pinch.
• 2 tbsp honey – Again, you can substitute maple syrup if you prefer.
• 1 tsp vanilla

How to make Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

The night before:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sourdough starter, 3 eggs, milk, honey, salt, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed with a paddle attachment until well combined, about 1 minute.

Add in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, with the mixer running on low speed until all the flour is incorporated.

Next, add in the butter 1 tbsp at a time with the mixer running on low. The dough will be pretty sticky, but this is ok.

Switch out the paddle attachment for a dough hook and mix the dough for 8-10 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a smooth ball.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise overnight.

To make the filling:

Stir together 2 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of flour in a small pot or pan. Set the pan on the stove over medium heat.

Add the strawberries, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon to the pot with the flour.

Cook the strawberries for 5-8 minutes until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Let the strawberries cool.

To shape the rolls:

On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 9″ by 12″.

Spread the strawberry mixture on the dough, leaving about 1/2″ border all around the edges.

Starting at the 9″ side, roll the rectangle into a log. Some of the filling may spill out, but that’s ok.

Turn the roll so that the seam side is down. Slice the roll lengthwise into 12 smaller rolls.

Place the rolls in a greased cast iron skillet and cover with a towel.

Let the rolls rise until puffy, about 2-4 hours.

Baking the rolls:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and use the convection setting if you have it.

Brush the tops of the rolls with milk just before baking them.

Bake the rolls for 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

For the icing:

In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla to make the icing.

Spread the icing over the rolls once they have cooled a bit. If you do it too early, the icing will melt.

Hungry for more sourdough breakfast treats?

If so, make sure to head over to the Kitchen Counter! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Crepes
• Sourdough Coffee Cake
• Sourdough French Toast
• Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.